Green Building Research Fund

Request for Pre-Proposals
February 4, 2008

Background
USGBC has committed $2 million for a research grant fund to underscore the critical role that
research plays in advancing building science and market transformation toward environmental
and human sustainability. $500,000 of the total is reserved for K-12 school research relating to
occupant impacts. 1 The USGBC Research Committee demonstrated the need for a vast
increase in research funding and activity through its work on Green Building Research Funding:
An Assessment of Current Activity in the United States and A National Green Building Research
Agenda (both available for download). This grant fund enables USGBC to act now on those
needs while leveraging partnership resources and encouraging other organizations to increase
their own research commitments.

Objective of the Pre-Proposal Phase

This first phase of the application process will evaluate applications based on abstracts of
proposed research projects in order to save time for applicants and reviewers. Selected
applicants will be invited to submit comprehensive proposals for the final phase of the award
process.

General Objective of the Research Fund

The fund’s objective is to provide leverage in achieving progress on critical research and market
transformation gaps. Discrete (finite) research projects will result in knowledge, policies,
technologies and/or tools that will have an immediate and positive impact on sustainable
building development, design, construction and operation.

Awards
A portfolio of projects will be selected. Several grants will be awarded in two general ranges:
$50,000 to $150,000, and $150,000 to $250,000 (total one-time, non-renewable grant
distributed throughout the project timeline). $500,000 of the $2 million total is reserved for K-12
school research relating to occupant impacts.1

Outcomes
The research will result in knowledge, technologies and/or tools that will advance building
science and market transformation. An emphasis is placed on outcomes that can be
immediately disseminated to, and applied by, owners, designers, builders and operators in the

                                                            
1
 Suggested reference:  Green Schools – Attributes for Health and Learning, National Research Council, 2006. 
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11756.html 
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form of research reports, guidelines and/or tools. Examples include design guidelines for
integrated systems; process improvements and tools for design, delivery and operations;
metrics, benchmarks, and databases; advanced building materials, components and systems;
policy analysis and development; and codes and standards. Additional examples and details
can be found in the National Green Building Research Agenda.

Duration
Preferred project duration is one to two years from inception but up to three years will be
allowed when a clear need for it is established (e.g., occupant observations over multiple years).

Eligibility
Academic, non-profit and other research institutions are the primary audiences for the grants.
For-profit entities are permitted to apply, but are strongly encouraged to partner with academic
or non-profit institutions and must clearly describe public versus private benefits. Members of
the core Research Committee (see roster, below) and colleagues in each member’s immediate
organizational unit are not eligible due to the members’ roles in grant program oversight and
project selection. Committee members must recuse themselves from reviews of proposals
submitted by their fellow employees. All deliberations will be performed in accordance with
USGBC conflict-of-interest policy. Students are not eligible to be principal investigators.
Proposed research projects must be discrete and finite and provide practical outcomes.
Research results and outcomes must be non-proprietary and widely distributable. Derivative
products can be proprietary. Appropriate research experience is required as well as
demonstrated ability to produce useful results.

Evaluation Criteria (in general order of importance)

Criteria will be applied during both pre-proposal and comprehensive proposal application
stages, but less so for pre-proposal stage.
1. Relevance to priority research topics identified in the National Green Building Research
Agenda. Alternatives may be justified based on one or more of the same criteria used to
prioritize topics within the Research Agenda:
• short timeframe / immediate results: relatively small or easy projects that can quickly
make a difference, perhaps substantial;
• significant level of expected impact;
• overcomes a barrier to commercialization or market adoption; and
• sequential significance (a prerequisite for other research).
2. Relevance to LEED topics and credits, as a basis for technical development of LEED.
3. Likelihood of having immediate, on-the-ground, and quantifiable impact.
4. Multidisciplinary scope and approach.
5. Inter-organizational partnerships (e.g., consortiums).
6. Cost share, including contributions from other organizations (poor: <20%, best: >50%). In-
kind contributions are limited to 20% of the total.
7. Duration: 1 to 2 years preferred; up to 3 years for ones collecting data over time.

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Pre-Proposal Application Requirements

1. Project narrative, limited to two pages, and including:
a) summarized goals, objectives, methods and outcomes;
b) relevance of the topic and outcomes to the selection criteria and to specific audiences.
2. Overall timetable (estimated start and completion dates)
3. Budget total.
4. Cost sharing potential: financial and in-kind contributions. Indicate potential partners,
interest levels, and confirmed commitments (as possible at this early stage).
5. List personnel such as principal investigators and key researchers. Note titles and general
areas of expertise. Identify primary points of contact. List partnering organizations, if
applicable.

Pre-Proposal Application Process and Schedule

1. Application period: February 12 through March 6.
2. Submit application via http://www.miracd.com/usgbc2008Grant/.
3. Selected applicants will be sent an invitation to submit comprehensive proposals in mid-
April. The deadline for the full proposals will be at the end of May. Final determination will
be made in late July. Grant funds will be awarded only upon the execution of USGBC's
grant agreement.
4. Questions about the RFPP can be directed to research@committees.usgbc.org.

About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization composed of
corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations
working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and
healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than
12,000 member companies and organizations, a broad portfolio of LEED® programs and
services, the industry’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
(www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 72 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
The Council’s vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. For more
information, visit www.usgbc.org.

Research Committee Members

• Gail Brager, Ph.D., Chair; Professor and Associate Director of the Center for the Built
Environment, University of California, Berkeley
• Judith Heerwagen, Ph.D., Vice Chair; President, J. H. Heerwagen & Associates, Inc.
• Drury Crawley, RA, Technology Development Manager, U.S. Department of Energy
• John Fernandez, Professor of Building Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Rich Haut, Ph.D., Sustainable Technology Group Director, Houston Advanced Research
Center
• Michael Holtz, FAIA, President, Architectural Energy Corporation
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• Bruce Hunn, Ph.D., Director of Technology, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air-Conditioning Engineers
• Vivian Loftness, FAIA, Professor of Architecture; Senior Researcher, Center for Building
Performance and Diagnostics, Carnegie Mellon University
• Peter Morris, Principal, Davis Langdon
• Steve Selkowitz, Department Head, Building Technologies Department, Environmental
Energy Technologies Division, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Alex Wilson, President, BuildingGreen Inc.

Liaisons to the Research Committee

• Markku Allison, Resource Architect, American Institute of Architects
• Mara Baum, Designer, Anshen + Allen, 2006 USGBC Ginsberg Sustainability Fellow
• Martha Bohm, Visiting Lecturer, Cornell University Department of Architecture, 2007
USGBC Ginsberg Sustainability Fellow
• Ken Sandler, Co-Chair, EPA Green Building Workgroup, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency

Legal Notice
A response to this Request for Pre-Proposals does not create a contract between the applicant
and USGBC, but instead is an invitation for the applicant to offer a proposal for USGBC’s
consideration. The decision to select or not select a proposal is made at the sole discretion of
USGBC, and may be based on any factors USGBC chooses to consider. By submitting a
proposal, the applicant waives any and all claims against USGBC, its officers, directors,
employees, subcontractors and agents, and assumes full responsibility for any and all damages,
claims, losses, costs and expenses which the applicant may incur arising from or relating to the
Request for Pre-Proposals or its response to this Request for Pre-Proposals. This waiver does
not apply to damage or loss resulting from the sole negligence, gross negligence, or willful
misconduct of USGBC, its directors, officers, employees or agents.

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